NDA Maintains Lead, BJP Sees Slight Dip
The latest India Today-CVoter Mood of the Nation (MOTN) survey, conducted in August 2026, indicates that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would comfortably cross the majority mark if Lok Sabha elections were held at present. The survey projects the NDA to win 326 seats in the 543-member Parliament.
While still a strong showing, this projection marks a decrease from the 352 seats forecast for the NDA in the January 2026 edition of the same survey. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) itself is projected to secure 261 seats, down from 287 six months prior. However, this figure remains higher than the 240 seats the BJP actually won in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where the NDA collectively secured 293 seats, enabling Prime Minister Narendra Modi to form his third consecutive government.
Congress Shows Significant Gains
In contrast to the NDA's slight dip, the Congress party is projected to make substantial gains. The August 2026 survey forecasts 106 seats for the Congress, a notable increase from the 80 seats predicted in the January edition and 97 seats in August 2025.
The broader INDIA bloc, an opposition alliance, is projected to win 185 seats. This is only marginally higher than the 182 seats predicted in January 2026 and falls significantly short of the 234 seats the alliance secured in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The Gen Z Challenge and Key Issues
The survey results emerge amidst growing concerns for the BJP regarding younger voters, particularly Generation Z. Issues such as exam paper leaks and irregularities within the education system have fueled student protests, including those witnessed at Delhi's Jantar Mantar in July, which ultimately led to the resignation of the Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan.
While the overall voter trust in the NDA appears to remain robust, the findings suggest that addressing the concerns of Gen Z voters will be a critical challenge for the alliance as it looks ahead to the 2029 general elections.
Survey Methodology
The Mood of the Nation survey is a biennial exercise commissioned by the India Today Group, with a history spanning approximately two decades. The August 2026 edition, conducted by CVoter, involved 25,184 direct interviews carried out between July 1 and August 25. The findings also incorporated data from 91,795 interviews conducted over the preceding six months as part of CVoter's ongoing tracking efforts.